Plan

Step 1: Plan

1.A What do I need to do? Make sure you can answer all these questions.

• What does your teacher want you to do?
• Did your teacher give you handouts about the topic?
• How many sources do I need?
• What types of sources do I need to use?
• What will my final product look like?
• If the final project is a paper, how long does it have to be?
• If the final project is a presentation, how much time will I be allowed for the presentation?

1.B What's my assignment? What's my topic?

• What do you already know about your topic?
• Create a list of ideas and questions related to your topic.
• How much time do you have to find information?

1.C What information do I need to answer my question? What information do I need for my research topic?

• What is your focus for the topic you are researching?
• Do you need to look at your textbook for basic information on the topic?
• Do you need to consult a general encyclopedia for basic information on the topic?
• Begin to take preliminary notes.
• Remember to get enough bibliographic information so you can locate your source again.

---

Page created by Janet Boltjes on 10/14/2008.
Information modified from http://martha.alewine.googlepages.com/thesimplefour and http://www.horrycountyschools.net/students/resources/search_strategies___the_simple_four_/